A gas line explosion that shot fireballs 50 feet into the air Tuesday morning in McKinney was ignited when construction equipment struck a 12-inch main, a McKinney fire spokeswoman said.
The fire occurred at an Atmos Energy construction site just north of the intersection of Texas 121 and U.S. 75, said Stacie Durham, the spokeswoman.
Six workers were at the site when the fire started and, although it was initially reported that no one was injured, fire officials learned that one Atmos worker was taken by private vehicle to Medical Center of McKinney, she said.
No evacuations were ordered and no structures were threatened, Durham said. By 10:20 a.m., gas was shut off to the line and the fire was under control.
Durham said she was a half-mile from the construction site and could no longer see flames.
Emergency crews closed Texas 121 and U.S. 75 while fire crews waited for the gas to be shut off, she said. Both roadways remained closed and she said she did not know when they would reopen.
An Atmos spokesman said earlier this morning that information still was being gathered.
Copyright 2012 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
